Colombia: Successful Forum on the United Front of Camilo Torres and the Palestine National Resistance

Featured image: Dozens of attendees were present at an event in Medellín.

A forum titled “United Front and Camilo Torres: Memory, Legacy, and Reclamation of Popular Unity” was held at the University of Antioquia (UdeA) in Medellín, on August 15, as reported by the Colombian democratic newspaper Nueva Democracia.

The event began with a presentation by Walter Broderick, a recognized author known for publishing an important biography titled “Camilo Torres, the Guerrilla Priest” 50 years ago. This was followed by presentations from the Marxist Research and Education Circle (CIEM) and the Student Movement at the Service of the People (MESP). The need to reclaim the legacy of Camilo Torres was emphasized, particularly the idea of building a United Front of the People.

The CEIM highlighted several important lessons to be grasp once again: the need to differentiate between friends and enemies of the people; that the front must be wholeheartedly founded for the people; the willingness to pay the cost; the organized struggle of the people is the way, not the elections.

The MESP delivered a presentation focused on the teachings of Camilo Torres for the student movement, “pointing out the relevance of his call for students to connect with the working people, to struggle alongside them (…) and to be willing to live and struggle with the people, assuming the costs and sacrifices that may be necessary.”

In the afternoon, the presentations continued, dedicating time to the Palestinian National Resistance. First, there was a presentation by the Committee of Solidarity with Palestine, which explained “the origins of Zionist paramilitarism, and denounced how the genocidal State of Israel has specialized and become the goon for imperialist powers, offering repression services to reactionary governments around the world.” The Israeli links with Colombian paramilitarism were also highlighted.

A second presentation was given by Nueva Democracia, focusing on providing updated information about the genocide in Gaza, stating that today “a heroic National Liberation War persists in Palestine, for which various Palestinian armed forces have formed a front that combats against this common enemy.” Actions of the resistance were showcased, demonstrating how it “has dealt a blow against Zionist plans and Yankee imperialism.” Lessons were learned serving the formation of the Anti-Imperialist People’s Front in Colombia.

Three cultural contributions took place after the presentations. On first place, the rapper Naimad B, afterwards the rapper ZGPrim and at the end the comrades of the Front of Cultural Combat.

We hereby share some of the songs presented and that are available in YouTube:

Numerous posters, banners, and flags decorated the room during the event. For example, a large flag of Palestine was displayed with the message “Free Palestine.” Marxist publications, texts by Camilo, bookmarks, cups, t-shirts, and other items related to the themes discussed were sold. Among these materials, there were important documents from the Coordinating Committee of the Anti-Imperialist League.

The event concluded with a mobilization in support of the heroic Palestinian Resistance and against the genocide in Gaza. Calle Barranquilla, an important road in the northern part of Medellín, was temporarily blocked outside the University of Antioquia. Speeches were made using a megaphone, and leaflets were distributed to passersby and drivers to help them understand the reasons for the blockade.